Container stacking and sealing overcap

ABSTRACT

An overcap for container having a stacking flange for retaining stacked containers in alignment and a sealing flange insertable into the opened end of the container for sealing the opening.

United States Patent Inventors Harry A. Peyser Olympia Fields; Sally J.Stevenson, Crestwood, both of ill. App]. No. 7,719 Filed Feb. 2, 1970Patented Nov. 30, 1971 Assignee Continental Can Company, Inc.

New York, NY.

CONTAINER STACKING AND SEALING OVERCAP 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 220/97 B, 220/42 C, 220/60 R Int. Cl ..B65d 21/02, 865d 4 l/ l 8Primary Examiner-Geroge E. Lowrance Attorneys- Fred P. Kostka, Joseph E.Kerwin and William A.

Dittmann ABSTRACT: An overcap for container having a stacking flange forretaining stacked containers in alignment and a sealing flangeinsertable into the opened end of the container for sealing the opening.

PATENTEnuuv 30 197i IN VENTORS HARRY A. PEYSER 1 SALLYJSTEVENSON w Y8CONTAINER STACKING AND SEALING OVERCAP The present invention relates toa new and improved overcap for containers. Overcaps are currently usedto reclose the opening remaining in the end of the container afterremoval of the end panel therefrom. In the easy opening type ofcontainers these openings are formed by the formation of a weakeningline which defines a removable panel portion. The removable panel isseparated from the remainder of the panel by tearing along the weakeningline to provide the opening through which the contents are emptied. Inthis type of easy opening container structure, the portion of the panelremaining on the end closure forms a ledge bounding the opening. Thisledge is spaced below the chime of the end closure.

Heretofore, overcaps have been constructed with the interior wallstructure spaced above the panel ledge bounding the opening. This may bebe because if the container is tilted or overturned, the containercontents may be deposited on the ledge and create a spillage problemwhen the overcap is removed. This spillage problem is particularlytroublesome when fluid products are packaged in the containers.

By the present invention, it is proposed to construct an overcap whichis constructed and arranged so that the opening is sealed at the panelledge bounding the pour opening.

This is accomplished generally by the provision of an overcap having anend wall and a sealing flange projecting therefrom. The sealing flangeis seatable within the pour opening to prevent the container contentsfrom being deposited on to the ledge. The overcap also includes astacking flange disposed on the same side of the end wall as the sealingflange for nesting within the recessed end of a stacked container whenthe overcap is inverted on the container end prior to opening the end.Further objects and features will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an easy-opening container and an overcapembodying the present invention assembled thereon prior to the openingof container end;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the overcap;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of stackedcontainers showing the manner in which the overcap serves to facilitatethe stacking of containers; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross section view of a container after openingand showing the overcap in an inverted position for sealing the opening.

Referring now to the drawings, an overcap 10 embodying the presentinvention is shown applied on the end of the container 11. The container11 includes a body 12 having a bottom end closure 13 attached to thelower end by means of a double seam. An upper end closure 14 is attachedto the upper end of the container body 12 by a double seam 15.

The upper end closure 14 may be of the easy opening type including anend panel 16 having a removable panel portion 16a defined by a weakeningline 17 formed as by scoring. The weakening line 17 may be concentricwith and spaced from a chuck wall 18 so that upon removal of theremovable panel portion 16a a ledge 19 bounds the resulting opening 20.It is to be noted that the ledge 19 is disposed below the chime 21 ofthe double seam 15.

For removing the removable panel portion 16a, a pull tab 22 is attachedthe to the removable panel portion 16a [in the standard manner. The pulltab 22 is mounted for tilting movement to initially sever the weakeningline 17, whereupon a pulling force is applied on the tab 22 to separatethe removable panel portion 16a by tearing along the weakening line 17.For a more complete description of the easy opening structure referenceis made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,270. The overcap l is made from plasticsuch as polyethylene. polypropylene or the like and is formed bymolding. The overcap 10 includes an annular end wall 23 having aperipheral skirt 24 which is adapted to overlie the chime 21 at theupper end of the container 11. The lower end of the skirt 24 is formedwith an inwardly projecting lip 25 which is engageable with the loweredge of the double seam 15 to releasably secure the overcap 10 on thecontainer 11 as shown in FIG. 3.

Pro ecting upwardly from the upper face of the overcap 10 is a stackingflange or bead 26. The stacking flange 26 is contoured so as to seatwithin the recessed end of the lower end closure 13. In this manner, thestacking flange 26 maintains a second container stacked thereon inalignment with the lower container as shown in FIG. 3. It is to be notedthat the stacking flange 26 is accommodated within the chuck wall of theend closure and is spaced from the end panel thereof.

Concentric within and projecting beyond the stacking flange 26 is asecond upstanding or sealing flange 27. Extending across and integralwith the upper end of the sealing flange 27 is a top wall 28. Themarginal edge portion of the top wall 28 projects outwardly of thesealing flange 27 to provide an annular lip 29.

As shown in FIG. 4 upon removal of the removable panel portion 160, theovercap 10 may be inverted from the position shown in FIG. 3 to theposition shown in FIG. 4 to seal the opening. In this position, thesealing flange 27 extends downwardly into the opening 20 and is snuglyengageable with the edge of the panel ledge 19 remaining on the end.Also, the projecting lip 29 underlies the end panel ledge 19. In thismanner, the sealing flange 2 and the lip 29 seal the opening 20 andprevent the contents from spilling on the can ledge. Should thecontainer contents be present on the can ledge 19 when the overcap 10 isinverted, the stacking flange 26 which is accommodated within the chuckwall 18 and the end wall 23 of the over cap 10 disposed on the chime 21serve to prevent spillage over the latter.

From the foregoing, it should be readily apparent that the overcap ofthe present invention provides both a means for stacking container priorto opening and a closure for insertable into the open end after removalof the end for sealing the open end.

What is claimed is:

1. An overcap for an easy-opening container of the type having an endpanel including a removable panel portion which when removed provides anopening bounded by a ledge and of predetermined contour in said endpanel, said overcap comprising an end wall having an outer peripheralskirt adapted to overlie the seamed end of said container, a firstflange extending from end wall in the opposite direction from said skirtand adapted to be nestingly received within the recessed end of acontainer stacked thereon, a second flange extending in the samedirection as said first flange and contoured complementary to saidpredetermined opening so as to seal said opening when said overcap isinverted to a position in which said skirt is out of engagement withsaid seamed end, said second flange including an outwardly extendinghorizontal lip adapted to underlie the ledge bounding said opening.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which said skirt includes aninwardly projecting lip engageable with the seamed end of saidcontainer.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said horizontal lip isthe marginal edge portion of a top wall integrally attached to saidsecond flange.

1. An overcap for an easy-opening container of the type having an endpanel including a removable panel portion which when removed provides anopening bounded by a ledge and of predetermined contour in said endpanel, said overcap comprising an end wall having an outer peripheralskirt adapted to overlie the seamed end of said container, a firstflange extending from end wall in the opposite direction from said skirtand adapted to be nestingly received within the recessed end of acontainer stacked thereon, a second flange extending in the samedirection as said first flange and contoured complementary to saidpredetermined opening so as to seal said opening when said overcap isinverted to a position in which said skirt is out of engagement withsaid seamed end, said second flange including an outwardly extendinghorizontal lip adapted to underlie the ledge bounding said opening. 2.The invention as defined in claim 1 in which said skirt includes aninwardly projecting lip engageable with the seamed end of saidcontaiNer.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein saidhorizontal lip is the marginal edge portion of a top wall integrallyattached to said second flange.